Monday, July 6, 2015

Our Love Story, Part II

I am a self-proclaimed word nerd. I love to read, and growing up, I always had my nose in a book. I read a bajillion books on dating and began writing letters to my future husband to tell him about what the Lord was teaching me and how I was praying for him. I had started doing this in high school but had fallen out of the habit, and I began anew in Mexico after reading a book entitled Praying for Your Future Husband: Preparing Your Heart for His. I loved writing to him to tell of my thoughts, hopes, and dreams for our future together.

After being a bridesmaid many times and continuing to pray through my singleness, I took a step back and realized that I had some false beliefs. I believed so much in my omnipotent God to provide, but I was unwilling to do much or take many risks that would allow Him to show up in an unexpected way. I still had that thought in the back of my mind that said I should try eHarmony, but I just wasn't ready. However, in the spring of 2014, I read a book entitled How to Get a Date Worth Keeping: Be Dating in Six Months or Your Money Back. I stumbled upon it one night on Amazon and was admittedly embarrassed to buy it. I mean, the title was soooo cheesy. But the authors were the same men who wrote the Boundaries books, so I figured I would give it a fair shot.

Well friends, this book kicked my butt. It made me realize how inactive I had been in my waiting on the Lord. In every other arena of my life I was active about the things I wanted. When I thought I might want to go back to school, I took the GRE. When I wanted a new job, I went above and beyond to express interest and form a relationship with my potential employer. This tenacity served me well in these situations. So why wasn't I going for what I wanted in my dating life (or lack thereof)?

In May, I turned twenty six. Now remember, I said that if I did not marry by twenty five, I would join eHarmony, so it was time. In June, I created a profile and waited to see what would happen. The summer of 2014 proved to be not at all what I expected it to be. I traveled through most of the summer on mission trips and vacations, and then began a new job in the fall. There were a few little conversations with potential suitors on eHarmony, but nothing ever came to fruition. I admit, I was getting a little discouraged. But God was up to something I couldn't fathom or imagine on my own.